On Our Radar

On Our Radar

Asia shares gain as Japan trade data better than forecast

People are reflected on the electronic board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. Asian markets mostly rose Monday as Japan reported its trade balance swung to a surplus in September and strong Japanese manufacturing data from a ...
purchasing manager's survey also suggested signs of improved activity in the world's third biggest economy. Attention is likely to focus this week on U.S. growth data. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
(The Associated Press)

A woman walks by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. Asian markets mostly rose Monday as Japan reported its trade balance swung to a surplus in September and strong Japanese manufacturing data from a ...
purchasing manager's survey also suggested signs of improved activity in the world's third biggest economy. Attention is likely to focus this week on U.S. growth data. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
(The Associated Press)

People walk by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. Asian markets mostly rose Monday as Japan reported its trade balance swung to a surplus in September and strong Japanese manufacturing data from a ...
purchasing manager's survey also suggested signs of improved activity in the world's third biggest economy. Attention is likely to focus this week on U.S. growth data. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
(The Associated Press)

TOKYO – Asian markets mostly rose Monday as Japan reported its trade balance swung to a surplus in September and strong Japanese manufacturing data from a purchasing manager's survey also suggested signs of improved activity in the world's third biggest economy. Attention is likely to focus this week on U.S. growth data.

ANALYST VIEWPOINT: "The highlight of the week will no doubt come from US 3Q GDP," Chris Weston of IG said in a commentary. "Keep in mind that growth has averaged around 1 percent in the past three quarters, so a snap back to the consensus estimate of 2.5 percent would be welcomed," he wrote.

JAPAN MANUFACTURING: A preliminary survey of factory managers showed a fifth straight month of improvement in manufacturing sentiment, despite persisting strength in the yen. The gauge for output rose for the first time since January.

LAST WEEK'S FINISH: U.S. stock indexes wavered between gains and losses and closed mostly lower on Friday. The Dow Jones industrial average edged 0.1 percent lower to 18,145.71, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index was nearly flat at 2,141.16. The Nasdaq composite index gained 0.3 percent to 5,257.40. All indexes were slightly higher for the week. The Dow is now up 4.1 percent for the year, while the S&P 500 is up 4.8 percent. The Nasdaq is up 5 percent.

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ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude fell 36 cents to $50.49 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It rose 22 cents to close at $50.85 a barrel in New York on Friday. Brent crude, used to price international oils, lost 27 cents to $51.51 a barrel. It gained 40 cents Friday to close at $51.78 a barrel in London.

CURRENCIES: The dollar rose to 103.95 yen from 103.80 on Friday. The euro fell to $1.0863 from $1.0886.